If you’re the owner of a new Amazon Echo Show 8 and you’re looking to try out some of its new features, setting up voice or video calling may not be as intuitive or easy to set up as you’d hoped. In this article, we’ll show you how to set up voice or video calling, otherwise known as using drop-in, on your Amazon Echo Show 8.
First, it’s important to note that it’s possible to connect to two different Alexa devices used under different accounts in different homes or locations. To get started, you’ll need to enable Alexa calling and messaging, enable drop-in, and add your contacts and connect them to your account.
To enable Alexa calling and messaging, both you and your contact need to set up Alexa calling and messaging using the Alexa Communication tab inside the Alexa app. Open the Alexa app and then open “Communicate.” Verify your mobile phone information and then give permissions for calling and messaging. Optional: you can import your phone’s contact list when prompted. If you’ve already completed this step, you can go to “Home,” “More,” “Settings,” “Communication,” and “Enhanced Features” and make sure the option is toggled on.
The next step is to enable drop-in. To set up drop-in on your device, open the Alexa app, then open “Devices.” Select “Echo and Alexa,” then choose your device. Choose “Communication,” select “Drop In” at the bottom, and then select which permissions to enable or disable.
The last step is to connect you and your contact. You’ll want to make sure that you’ve added the person you want to communicate with as a designated contact inside the Alexa app, not just elsewhere on your phone. To add a new contact, go to “Communicate” and look for the little person icon in the top right. Choose it and tap “Add New.” If your contact has already enabled Alexa calling and messaging, you’ll see a permission option that lets you allow them to drop in on you. You can go ahead and toggle that on.
Once you’ve completed these steps, you can simply say, “Hey [wake word], drop in on [contact’s name].” This will allow you to talk to your friends or family by voice or video with one simple voice command.
If you want to read these instructions or reference any of what we’ve talked about, you can head over to techgadgetscanada.com. We’ve got a full write-up posted there, and you can ask us any questions you have about these communication options either on the blog or as always here on our YouTube channel.